Now there's something for Margate commissioners to hang on the fridge -- an award from PETA.
For the commission's unanimous vote to ban bull hooks, electric prods, and other devices that can be used to harm animals, PETA announced today that it's sending the commissioners "Compassionate Legislator Awards."
The push for the ordinance came about with the Cole Bros. Circus coming to Margate, a circus that animal-rights activists claim has a history of abusing animals -- specifically elephants.
Aside from the typical definition of animal abuse, the Margate ordinance bans "electric prods or shocking devices; shocking spurs or rowels; flank or bucking straps or similar devices; wire tie-downs; chains used as tie-downs; whips or bull-whips (excluding riding crops); ankuses or bull-hooks, or similar devices."
There was some tension between the animal-rights activists and some Margate citizens who supported the circus coming to town -- bringing the devices along with them -- but when it came time to vote on the ordinance, Commissioner Le Peerman said that no one ever came to her in opposition of the proposed ordinance.
"I have not had one single phone call from anyone saying we have a need for it in the city," Peerman said at the commission meeting earlier in the month. "This has nothing to do with banning the circus -- it has to do with banning certain utensils that, obviously, there's no need for in the city, because nobody's bothered to call and stick up for those particular... items that we have on this list."
That earned Peerman, along with the rest of the commission, spots on PETA's good list.
Here's what's coming in the mail, commissioners:
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